During this Colorado summer of natural disaster and human tragedy, Ben Garland became the face of the Broncos franchise.

As the lightning-ignited High Park fire burned more than 87,000 acres and at least 259 homes, Garland was part of a Broncos contingent that visited the area to thank and inspire the firefighters and volunteers, and comfort the victims.

Later that day, Garland, a graduate of the Air Force Academy, got word that his grandparents’ home in Colorado Springs — which included dozens of the family’s military heirlooms — was incinerated by the Waldo Canyon fire. His grandparents owned one of 346 homes destroyed by the fire, the cause of which investigators are to reveal Sept. 12.

The High Park and Waldo Canyon fires consumed news coverage for a good two weeks. Then came the Aurora theater shootings. Several Broncos players visited hospitalized victims the Sunday before training camp, July 22, and the next day.

Garland was part of both groups. Service before self. It’s a core value of the U.S. Air Force. Alas, there is no room for sentimentality in the coldhearted business that is the NFL.

Garland was among the players cut by the Broncos on Friday.

“I gave it all I’ve got for two years,” Garland said late Thursday night as he tried to cool down from the Broncos’ final preseason game at Arizona. “That’s kind of the Air Force mentality — to work as hard as you can every single day. We call it ‘excellence in all we do.’ It’s one of our core values, and that’s what we mean. If it’s not enough, it’s not enough.”

Garland was re-signed to the Denver practice squad Saturday. Maybe the Broncos do have a heart.

“It’s a dream job to work for not only the NFL but for this organization,” Garland said. “This is not only my hometown team, it’s one of the best-run, best-coached teams in the NFL in my opinion. Couldn’t be in a better place as an employee.”

Meanwhile, after Adam Weber spent his rookie season on the Denver practice squad last year, the quarterback was impressive in the Broncos’ first preseason game at Chicago. But he didn’t play in the second preseason game, was given three minutes of playing time in the third, and played the final four minutes Thursday against Arizona.

With 22 seconds remaining and nothing to lose in a 13-13 game against the Cardinals, Weber did what winners do: He passed up easy yardage against soft coverage and instead threw a low- percentage pass deep downfield. Because, low percentage or not, it was the only chance the Broncos had of avoiding a tie and winning the game.

This was after Weber called the play in the huddle. He called the play, then gave Orton his personal audible. Orton caught a 45-yard pass, setting up the winning field goal by Matt Prater.

Weber went out chucking, not checking down.

“That’s the thing, we had to get the ball downfield,” he said.

A few hours later, Weber was summoned to a meeting with the Broncos’ Turk. Weber was cut.

“A tough day,” Weber said. “It’s one of those things where they liked something about all four quarterbacks. It’s a business. I understand that.”

Orton was a late arrival to Broncos training camp in 2011. He was cut, then brought back to the practice squad for the final five weeks. When Weber threw that 45-yard pass, Orton had a cornerback all over him, but he would not be denied. With only seven seconds left on the Broncos’ active roster, Orton caught the ball.

“Last year I came in later and I was kind of mad at myself because I didn’t leave it all out there in camp,” Orton said. “But I think (this year) I gave it my all every day. I’m satisfied with myself for doing that.”

Orton was cut Friday but like Garland was re-signed to the Broncos’ practice squad. Weber took a practice-squad job with Tampa Bay.

Garland, Orton and Weber played for their football lives Thursday. And they live on.

Mike Klis was with The Denver Post from Jan. 1, 1998 before leaving in 2015 to join KUSA 9News. He covered the Rockies and Major League Baseball until the 2005 All-Star break, when he was asked to start covering the Broncos.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tyreek Hill didn’t know what to do when he started hearing thousands of people in Arrowhead Stadium chanting his name, even as he stood all alone on the frozen turf waiting for the punt.